|dis+ transitive verb
Etymology: Middle French despossesser, from des- dis- (I) + possesser to possess — more at possess
1.
a. : to put out of possession especially of property or land — usually used with of before the thing taken away
dispossess a man of his goods and chattels
b. : to strip of possessions
a depression in which many people found themselves dispossessed
2.
a. : to put out of occupancy : eject , oust
b. : to drive out : banish
dispossessing the French from the southern shores of the Mediterranean — Percy Winner
3. archaic : to free from possession by an evil spirit
Synonyms: see deprive